A randomized trial of human C1 inhibitor prophylaxis in children with hereditary angioedema

BACKGROUND

Patients with hereditary angioedema with C1 inhibitor deficiency or dysfunction have burdensome recurrent angioedema attacks. The safety, efficacy, and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) outcomes of C1 inhibitor (C1-INH) prophylaxis (intravenously administered) in patients aged 6-11 years were investigated.

METHODS

Eligible patients were enrolled in a randomized, single-blind, crossover, phase 3 trial. After a 12-week baseline observation period (BOP), patients received 500 or 1000 U C1-INH, twice weekly, for 12 weeks before crossing over to the alternate dose for 12 weeks. The primary efficacy end-point was the monthly normalized number of angioedema attacks (NNA). HRQoL was assessed using the EuroQoL 5-dimensional descriptive system youth version and visual analog scale (EQ-VAS).

RESULTS

Twelve randomized patients had a median (range) age of 10.0 (7-11) years. Mean (SD) percentage reduction in monthly NNA from BOP was 71.1% (27.1%) with 500 U and 84.5% (20.0%) with 1000 U C1-INH. Mean (SD) within-patient difference (-0.4 [0.58]) for monthly NNA with both doses was significant (P = 0.035 [90% CI, -0.706 to -0.102]). Cumulative attack severity, cumulative daily severity, and number of acute attacks treated were reduced. No serious adverse events or discontinuations occurred. Mean EQ-VAS change from BOP to week 9 of treatment (500 U C1-INH, 10.4; 1000 U C1-INH, 21.6) was greater than the minimal important difference, indicating a meaningful HRQoL change.

CONCLUSIONS

C1-INH prophylaxis was effective, safe, and well tolerated in children aged 6-11 years experiencing recurrent angioedema attacks. A post hoc analysis indicated a meaningful improvement in HRQoL with C1-INH.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT02052141.

EXHANCE-12: 1-year study of the exhalation delivery system with fluticasone (EDS-FLU) in chronic rhinosinusitis

BACKGROUND

Inadequate efficacy of current intranasal steroids in chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is attributable to ineffective and/or inconsistent drug delivery to target anatomic sites. A new exhalation delivery system with fluticasone (EDS-FLU) may improve outcomes by significantly increasing superior/posterior corticosteroid delivery. A study was conducted to assess the long-term efficacy and safety outcomes of EDS-FLU in individuals with CRS.

METHODS

This was a 12-month, multicenter, single-arm study evaluating the safety and efficacy of EDS-FLU 372 μg twice daily in CRS patients (with [n = 34] or without [n = 189] nasal polyps [NP]). Efficacy assessments by serial nasal endoscopy and patient report included: 22-item Sino-Nasal Outcome Test (SNOT-22), NP grade, standardized surgical indicator assessment, Lund-Kennedy score, and Patient Global Impression of Change. Adverse event (AE) evaluations included nasal endoscopy. Additional safety and efficacy outcomes were assessed.

RESULTS

Of 223 patients who received EDS-FLU, 96% reported prior corticosteroid use and 29% prior sinus surgery. The EDS-FLU AE profile was similar to conventional intranasal steroids studied in similar populations. Most patients (87%) reported symptom improvement. Through 12 months, mean SNOT-22 scores improved by -21.5 and -21.1 for CRS with and without NP, respectively. Among patients with NP, 54.2% had polyp elimination in at least 1 nostril and 83.3% had ≥1-point improvement in polyp grade.

CONCLUSION

Over 1 year of treatment in CRS with and without NP, EDS-FLU 372 μg twice daily was well tolerated and produced improvements across a broad range of objective and subjective measures. EDS-FLU may be a desirable new option for patients with this condition.

Preventing Hereditary Angioedema Attacks in Children Using Cinryze®: Interim Efficacy and Safety Phase 3 Findings

BACKGROUND

Hereditary angioedema (HAE) is a rare genetic disease causing unpredictable and potentially life-threatening subcutaneous and submucosal edematous attacks. Cinryze® (Shire ViroPharma Inc., Lexington, MA, USA), a nanofiltered C1 inhibitor (C1-INH), is approved in Europe for the treatment, preprocedure prevention, and routine prophylaxis of HAE attacks, and for the routine prophylaxis of attacks in the USA. This phase 3 study assessed the safety and efficacy of 2 C1-INH doses in preventing attacks in children aged 6-11 years.

METHODS

A randomized single-blind crossover study was initiated in March 2014. Results for the first 6 patients completing the study are reported here. After a 12-week qualifying observation period, patients were randomly assigned to 1 of 2 C1-INH doses, 500 or 1,000 U, every 3-4 days for 12 weeks and crossed over to the alternative dose for a second 12-week period. The primary efficacy endpoint was the number of angioedema attacks per month.

RESULTS

Six females with HAE type I and a median age of 10.5 years received 2 doses of C1-INH (500 and 1,000 U). The mean (SD) difference in the number of monthly angioedema attacks between the baseline observation period and the treatment period was -1.89 (1.31) with 500 U and -1.89 (1.11) with 1,000 U. During the treatment periods, cumulative attack severity, cumulative daily severity, and the number of attacks needing acute treatment were lower. No serious adverse events or study drug discontinuations occurred.

CONCLUSIONS

Interim findings from this study indicate that routine prevention with intravenous administration of C1-INH is efficacious, safe, and well tolerated in children ≥6 years of age.

Safety and efficacy of C1 esterase inhibitor for acute attacks in children with hereditary angioedema

BACKGROUND

Human plasma-derived nanofiltered C1 esterase inhibitor (C1 INH-nf) is used to treat acute angioedema attacks in patients with hereditary angioedema (HAE), but data regarding use in children are sparse.

METHODS

Patients 2 to <12 years of age, body weight ≥10 kg, with a diagnosis of HAE type I or II, were recruited for a multicenter open-label trial. Patients were recruited into 2 weight categories (10-25 kg, >25 kg). Each weight category included 2 dosing levels: C1 INH-nf (500 units [U], 1000 U) and C1 INH-nf (1000 U, 1500 U), respectively. Patients experiencing an angioedema attack were given a single intravenous dose. Primary efficacy end-point was the onset of unequivocal relief of the defining symptom within 4 h following initiation of C1 INH-nf treatment.

RESULTS

Nine children were treated: 3 (10-25 kg) received 500 U; 3 (>25 kg) received 1000 U; and 3 (>25 kg) received 1500 U. The lower weight/higher dose category (10-25 kg, 1000 U) was not successfully enrolled. All patients completed the study. Most angioedema attacks (n = 5) were abdominal. All patients met the primary end-point; median time to unequivocal symptom relief was 0.5 (range: 0.25-2.5) h. Doses of C1 INH-nf ranged from 20.8 to 51.9 U/kg.

CONCLUSIONS

Treatment of a single angioedema attack with C1 INH-nf doses of 500 U (in patients 10-25 kg), 1000 U, and 1500 U (in patients >25 kg) were well tolerated. Doses of C1 INH-nf <1000 U may be appropriate in some pediatric patients.

Repeat treatment of acute hereditary angioedema attacks with open-label icatibant in the FAST-1 trial

Hereditary angioedema (HAE) is characterized by potentially life-threatening recurrent episodes of oedema. The open-label extension (OLE) phase of the For Angioedema Subcutaneous Treatment (FAST)-1 trial (NCT00097695) evaluated the efficacy and safety of repeated icatibant exposure in adults with multiple HAE attacks. Following completion of the randomized, controlled phase, patients could receive open-label icatibant (30 mg subcutaneously) for subsequent attacks. The primary end-point was time to onset of primary symptom relief, as assessed by visual analogue scale (VAS). Descriptive statistics were reported for cutaneous/abdominal attacks 1-10 treated in the OLE phase and individual laryngeal attacks. Post-hoc analyses were conducted in patients with ≥ 5 attacks across the controlled and OLE phases. Safety was evaluated throughout. During the OLE phase, 72 patients received icatibant for 340 attacks. For cutaneous/abdominal attacks 1-10, the median time to onset of primary symptom relief was 1·0-2·0 h. For laryngeal attacks 1-12, patient-assessed median time to initial symptom improvement was 0·3-1·2 h. Post-hoc analyses showed the time to onset of symptom relief based on composite VAS was consistent across repeated treatments with icatibant. One injection of icatibant was sufficient to treat 88·2% of attacks; rescue medication was required in 5·3% of attacks. No icatibant-related serious adverse events were reported. Icatibant provided consistent efficacy and was well tolerated for repeated treatment of HAE attacks.

Escalating doses of C1 esterase inhibitor (CINRYZE) for prophylaxis in patients with hereditary angioedema

BACKGROUND

Nanofiltered C1 inhibitor (human) is approved in the United States for routine prophylaxis of angioedema attacks in patients with hereditary angioedema, a rare disease caused by a deficiency of functional C1 inhibitor.

OBJECTIVE

To assess the safety of escalating doses of nanofiltered C1 inhibitor (human) in patients who were not adequately controlled on the indicated dose (1000 U every 3 or 4 days).

METHODS

Eligible patients had >1 attack/month over the 3 months before the trial. Doses were escalated to 1500 U every 3 or 4 days for 12 weeks, at which point, the patients were evaluated. If treatment was successful (≤1 attack/mo) or at the investigator's discretion, the patients entered a 3-month follow-up period. The patients with an average of >1 attack/month were eligible for further escalation to 2000 U and then 2500 U.

RESULTS

Twenty patients started at 1500 U; 13 were escalated to 2000 U, and 12 were escalated to 2500 U. Eighteen patients reported adverse events. Two patients reported 4 serious adverse events (cerebral cystic hygroma, laryngeal angioedema attack, anemia, and bile duct stone) that were considered by investigators to be unrelated to treatment. Notably, there were no systemic thrombotic events or discontinuations due to adverse events. Fourteen patients were treated successfully (70%), continued to the follow-up period at the investigator's discretion, or experienced a reduction in attacks of >1.0/month.

CONCLUSIONS

Dose escalation of nanofiltered C1 inhibitor (human) up to 2500 U was well tolerated and reduced attack frequency in the majority of patients.

C1-inhibitor therapy for hereditary angioedema attacks: prospective patient assessments of health-related quality of life

C1-inhibitor (INH) concentrate, which is recommended as first-line treatment for acute hereditary angioedema (HAE) attacks in many countries, was recently approved in the United States. We sought to solicit patients' feedback about their health-related quality of life (HRQoL) while being treated with C1-INH concentrate for acute HAE attacks under real-world conditions, as well as the personal impact of the availability of C1-INH on lifestyle and mental health domains. Subjects enrolled in an open-label study of C1-INH at 20 U/kg for acute HAE attacks were invited to participate in a prospectively designed survey to solicit "real-time" patient responses that were collected via an interactive voice response service or online with a personal computer. Eighteen subjects submitted 60 quarterly HRQoL and treatment impact survey responses over 29 months. Seventeen of 18 patients responding reported mean short form 12 HRQoL scores that were within a normal range. More than one-half indicated that C1-INH availability made them feel somewhat or much better, and >80% reported having a better outlook on the future and feeling more secure about the danger of life-threatening attacks. These data confirm a high level of HRQoL and a positive impact in lifestyle and emotional domains among patients who were treated for acute attacks of HAE with C1-INH concentrate.

Treatment response after repeated administration of C1 esterase inhibitor for successive acute hereditary angioedema attacks

Placebo-controlled studies established the efficacy of replacement therapy with C1 esterase inhibitor (C1-INH) concentrate for treating single acute hereditary angioedema (HAE) attacks, but only limited data from prospective studies are available on repeated treatment of successive HAE attacks. This study evaluates the association between repeated treatments with 20 U/kg of C1-INH concentrate (Berinert; CSL Behring, Marburg, Germany) for HAE attacks at any body location and treatment response. In a post hoc analysis of an open-label extension study (International Multicenter Prospective Angioedema C1-INH Trial [I.M.P.A.C.T.2]), the association between repeated treatment with C1-INH and times to onset of symptom relief and complete resolution of HAE symptoms was assessed in patients who were treated for at least 15 attacks by linear regression on the ordinal attack number. Eighteen patients received C1-INH concentrate for at least 15 HAE attacks over a mean duration of 34 months. Demographic and baseline characteristics of these patients were similar to those of all patients in the study. The distribution of body locations and the intensity of HAE attacks were similar for each of the first 15 attacks and subsequent attacks. The extent of previous use of C1-INH concentrate had no effect on the time to onset of symptom relief, the time to complete resolution of HAE symptoms, or the time between attacks treated with C1-INH concentrate; the median of individual linear regression coefficients was not statistically significantly different from 0. Treatment with 20 U/kg of C1-INH concentrate provided consistent treatment response in patients treated for multiple successive HAE attacks at any body location. (Clinicaltrials.gov identifier: NCT00292981).

C1 esterase inhibitor concentrate in 1085 Hereditary Angioedema attacks--final results of the I.M.P.A.C.T.2 study

BACKGROUND

The placebo-controlled study International Multicentre Prospective Angioedema C1-INH Trial 1 (I.M.P.A.C.T.1) demonstrated that 20 U/kg C1 esterase inhibitor (C1-INH) concentrate (Berinert®; CSL Behring, Marburg, Germany) is effective in treating acute abdominal and facial Hereditary Angioedema (HAE) attacks.

METHODS

I.M.P.A.C.T.2 was an open-label extension study of I.M.P.A.C.T.1 to evaluate the safety and efficacy of long-term treatment with 20 U/kg C1-INH for successive HAE attacks at any body location. Efficacy outcomes included patient-reported time to onset of symptom relief (primary) and time to complete resolution of all symptoms (secondary), analysed on a per-patient and per-attack basis. Safety assessments included adverse events, vital signs, viral safety and anti-C1-INH antibodies.

RESULTS

During a median study duration of 24 months, 1085 attacks were treated in 57 patients (10-53 years of age). In the per-patient analysis, the median time to onset of symptom relief was 0.46 h and was similar for all types of attacks (0.39-0.48 h); the median time to complete resolution of symptoms was 15.5 h (shortest for laryngeal attacks: 5.8 h; 12.8-26.6 h for abdominal, peripheral and facial attacks). Demographic factors, type of HAE, intensity of attacks, time to treatment, use of androgens and presence of anti-C1-INH antibodies had no clinically relevant effect on the efficacy outcomes. There were no treatment-related safety concerns. No inhibitory anti-C1-INH antibodies were detected in any patient.

CONCLUSIONS

A single dose of 20 U/kg C1-INH concentrate is safe and provides reliable efficacy in the long-term treatment of successive HAE attacks at any body location.

Icatibant, a new bradykinin-receptor antagonist, in hereditary angioedema

BACKGROUND

Hereditary angioedema is characterized by recurrent attacks of angioedema of the skin, larynx, and gastrointestinal tract. Bradykinin is the key mediator of symptoms. Icatibant is a selective bradykinin B2 receptor antagonist.

METHODS

In two double-blind, randomized, multicenter trials, we evaluated the effect of icatibant in patients with hereditary angioedema presenting with cutaneous or abdominal attacks. In the For Angioedema Subcutaneous Treatment (FAST) 1 trial, patients received either icatibant or placebo; in FAST-2, patients received either icatibant or oral tranexamic acid, at a dose of 3 g daily for 2 days. Icatibant was given once, subcutaneously, at a dose of 30 mg. The primary end point was the median time to clinically significant relief of symptoms.

RESULTS

A total of 56 and 74 patients underwent randomization in the FAST-1 and FAST-2 trials, respectively. The primary end point was reached in 2.5 hours with icatibant versus 4.6 hours with placebo in the FAST-1 trial (P=0.14) and in 2.0 hours with icatibant versus 12.0 hours with tranexamic acid in the FAST-2 trial (P<0.001). In the FAST-1 study, 3 recipients of icatibant and 13 recipients of placebo needed treatment with rescue medication. The median time to first improvement of symptoms, as assessed by patients and by investigators, was significantly shorter with icatibant in both trials. No icatibant-related serious adverse events were reported.

CONCLUSIONS

In patients with hereditary angioedema having acute attacks, we found a significant benefit of icatibant as compared with tranexamic acid in one trial and a nonsignificant benefit of icatibant as compared with placebo in the other trial with regard to the primary end point. The early use of rescue medication may have obscured the benefit of icatibant in the placebo trial. (Funded by Jerini; ClinicalTrials.gov numbers, NCT00097695 and NCT00500656.)

Links between Pollen, Atopy and the Asthma Epidemic

Pollen allergy has been found in 80-90% of childhood asthmatics and 40-50% of adult-onset asthmatics. Despite the high prevalence of atopy in asthmatics, a causal relationship between the allergic response and asthma has not been clearly established. Pollen grains are too large to penetrate the small airways where asthma occurs. Yet pollen cytoplasmic fragments are respirable and are likely correlated with the asthmatic response in allergic asthmatics. In this review, we outline the mechanism of pollen fragmentation and possible pathophysiology of pollen fragment-induced asthma. Pollen grains rupture within the male flowers and emit cytoplasmic debris when winds or other disturbances disperse the pollen. Peak levels of grass and birch pollen allergens in the atmosphere correlated with the occurrence of moist weather conditions during the flowering period. Thunderstorm asthma epidemics may be triggered by grass pollen rupture in the atmosphere and the entrainment of respirable-sized particles in the outflows of air masses at ground level. Pollen contains nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (reduced) oxidases and bioactive lipid mediators which likely contribute to the inflammatory response. Several studies have examined synergistic effects and enhanced immune response from interaction in the atmosphere, or from co-deposition in the airways, of pollen allergens, endogenous pro-inflammatory agents, and the particulate and gaseous fraction of combustion products. Pollen and fungal fragments also contain compounds that can suppress reactive oxidants and quench free radicals. It is important to know more about how these substances interact to potentially enhance, or even ameliorate, allergic asthma.

The effect of theophylline on the lower esophageal sphincter pressure

The effects of theophylline on lower esophageal sphincter pressure (LESP) were studied on four normal volunteers and six asthmatics with symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux (GER). Manometric evaluations of LESP were obtained before and after an intravenous dose of aminophylline. All subjects had therapeutic theophylline levels at the time of the second measurement of LESP and a significant decrease in LESP occurred in normal and asthmatic volunteers.

Laboratory tests in chronic urticaria

One hundred twenty-five patients with chronic urticaria were evaluated with 11 commonly recommended laboratory and radiologic procedures. Abnormal studies were obtained in 26 (20.8%) of these patients, but the majority of these abnormalities were evident from the initial history and physical examination. These results indicate that, with the possible exception of sinus roentgenograms, these laboratory studies are not likely to be helpful in the evaluation of chronic urticaria unless there are suggestive findings in the history and physical examination. The yield and equivalent charge of diagnosis for each procedure used was also analyzed.

Selective immunoglobulin A deficiency associated with modular lymphoid hyperplasia

Nodular lymphoid hyperplasia (NLH) has been firmly associated with syndromes of hypogammaglobulinemia but not with selective absence of IgA. We report the case of a 5-yr-old girl with the triad of selective IgA deficiency, NLH of the small bowel, and giardiasis. Results of an extensive immunologic investigation, including immunohistochemical examinations of small bowel biopsies, support the hypothesis that the basic defect responsible for IgA deficiency in this patient was the failure of precursor IgM-bearing lymphocytes to differentiate into IgA-producing plasma cells. Furthermore, the abundance of IgM-bearing cells in biopsy specimens demonstrates the existence of a compensatory mechanism in the intestine to substitute IgM for the absent IgA.

Primary inoculation tuberculosis of the skin. Prosector's paronychia,

Subsequent to an autopsy of a tuberculotic cadaver, a pathology resident presented with a painless paronychia and axillary adenopathy after surgical incision and broad-spectrum antibiotics had failed to improve his condition. Demonstration by culture of Mycobacterium tuberculosis var hominis, positive smears, and findings of acid-fast organisms in a skin biopsy specimen proved the diagnosis of tuberculosis. Conversion of a previously negative skin test permitted the diagnosis of primary inoculation tuberculosis of the skin. The disease responded well to treatment with isoniazid, rifampin, and pyridoxine hydrochloride.